Rafaella Lambrinos is pursuing a history major. As a student in her high school’s Law and Public Service Program, Rafaella’s curiosity about law and society started early. She is interested in how legal change is inspired and the importance of citizen participation in spearheading such change. As an SNF Paideia Fellow, Rafaella looks forward to collaborating with students of diverse cultures and backgrounds and to creating friendships reflective of the world’s diversity.
Rafaella has seen firsthand the power of effective dialogue in fostering connections. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Rafaella launched the “Adopt a Yiayia and Pappou” program: a volunteer opportunity connecting senior members of her Greek Orthodox church with members of the youth for weekly phone conversations. Her goal was to help ease the loneliness she worried the elderly felt as a result of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Creating these connections across generations through intentional and meaningful dialogue proved to be beneficial to the community as a whole. Ultimately, new friendships were made amongst the most unlikely pairs.
In the future, Rafaella aspires to attend law school and become an attorney. She hopes to be a voice for those who are often left unheard by actively listening and advocating for their needs. Rafaella aims to use her talents towards creating positive change in her community. Aristotle believed that we learn best by doing that which we aim to learn. To Rafaella, “Paideia” is just that: a lifelong journey of learning by doing.